The invention relates to artificial trees, preferably in the nature of pine trees. Such trees will display fire-retardant filaments simulating pine needles, usually made of a fire-retardant, synthetic resin in the nature of polyvinyl chloride. While such artificial limbs and trees will normally be green in order to simulate pine limbs and pine trees, it will be appreciated that other fire-retardant filaments can be used, such as metal foil slivers or silver-coated synthetic resins in order that the finished limb or tree will present a silver color. Other colors can be used.
The goal of artificial tree manufacture is the achievement of a natural lifelike appearance. U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,105--Shaffer discloses a more natural appearing "limb" than had been possible, and it is contemplated that the present invention will utilize the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,105. Additional patents that confront the problem of manufacture of natural-looking artificial branches and trees are U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,976--Mottel, U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,457--Mottel, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,980--Spiegel.
The terminology chosen to describe the invention is for convenience in this description. Twigs are combined to form a branch, branches are combined to form a limb, and limbs are combined to form a tree. While similar terminology may occur in prior patents in the artificial tree art, such terminology does not necessarily identify the same elements as described herein.